Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kandy and Hanoi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $801 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index

Jump to prices

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kandy and in Hanoi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kandy and in Hanoi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Kandy versus $801 in Hanoi.

Kandy $513
Hanoi $801

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Kandy versus $1,246 in Hanoi.

Kandy $728
Hanoi $1,246

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $943 in Kandy versus $1,691 in Hanoi.

Kandy $943
Hanoi $1,691

Living in Kandy costs roughly 36% less than in Hanoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kandy 62% lower, Hanoi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 LKR 885

$2.00 ₫51.6K

33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.01 LKR 4,324

$23.34 ₫602.8K

-44.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 LKR 1,996

$4.40 ₫113.8K

36.36%

Cappuccino

$1.90 LKR 632

$1.93 ₫50.0K

-1.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LKR 174

$0.48 ₫12.3K

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 LKR 87.1

$0.33 ₫8,615

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 LKR 620

$1.06 ₫27.4K

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 LKR 931

$1.96 ₫50.6K

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 382

$1.51 ₫39.1K

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 174

$1.05 ₫27.1K

-50.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.80 ₫20.8K

-3.75%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 568

$1.46 ₫37.6K

17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LKR 1,708

$11.48 ₫296.6K

-55.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 LKR 1,412

$3.55 ₫91.8K

19.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 LKR 2,285

$10.10 ₫260.9K

-31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 LKR 1,043

$3.11 ₫80.2K

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 280

$1.01 ₫26.0K

-16.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 LKR 574

$1.33 ₫34.4K

30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 429

$1.05 ₫27.2K

22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$0.91 ₫23.6K

12.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 277

$1.15 ₫29.6K

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LKR 144

$0.54 ₫14.1K

-20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 140

$0.55 ₫14.2K

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 LKR 2,668

$1.37 ₫35.3K

485.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 LKR 3,751

$11.82 ₫305.3K

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$0.88 ₫22.8K

119.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 LKR 691

$1.71 ₫44.1K

21.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.3

$0.41 ₫10.5K

-60.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.38 LKR 1,457

$10.68 ₫275.8K

-58.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$0.80 ₫20.6K

-48.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 156

$2.38 ₫61.4K

-80.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 LKR 383

$0.91 ₫23.5K

26.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

$31.1K ₫804.0M

-55.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

$28.6K ₫738.6M

28.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

$83.5 ₫2.2M

-29.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$3.86 LKR 1,282

$5.22 ₫134.9K

-26.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.72 LKR 4,227

$8.78 ₫226.8K

44.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.85 LKR 3,606

$27.23 ₫703.3K

-60.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 LKR 2,262

$9.64 ₫249.1K

-29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$2.74 LKR 909

$4.61 ₫119.0K

-40.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$21.65 LKR 7,199

$867 ₫22.4M

-97.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$304 LKR 101.0K

$27.7K ₫715.1M

-98.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,078

$46.55 ₫1.2M

-60.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$26.64 ₫688.1K

-61.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

$83.5 ₫2.2M

-18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.56 LKR 8,831

$76.3 ₫2.0M

-65.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$429 ₫11.1M

-59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LKR 37.5K

$287 ₫7.4M

-60.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LKR 57.2K

$874 ₫22.6M

-80.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

$549 ₫14.2M

-82.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 LKR 131.9K

$4,936 ₫127.5M

-91.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 LKR 133.0K

$2,835 ₫73.2M

-85.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 LKR 86.9K

$512 ₫13.2M

-48.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

44.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kandy

$166 32.3%

Hanoi

$195 24.3% 17.3% $29

Accommodation & Living

Kandy

$113 22%

Hanoi

$287 35.8% 154% $174

Eating Out

Kandy

$80 15.6%

Hanoi

$65 8.1% 19.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kandy

$76 14.7%

Hanoi

$97 12.2% 29% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Kandy

$55 10.8%

Hanoi

$105 13.1% 89.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Kandy

$16 3.2%

Hanoi

$36 4.6% 123% $20

Getting Around

Kandy

$7.2 1.4%

Hanoi

$16 2% 122% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $172 in Kandy and $429 in Hanoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 96% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Kandy vs $23 in Hanoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $195 per month, with Kandy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kandy

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Kandy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,000

8,587,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kandy Hanoi 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kandy
Hanoi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kandy vs Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $513 in Kandy and $801 in Hanoi, so Kandy is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Kandy. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $172 in Kandy versus $429 in Hanoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kandy runs roughly 59% less than in Hanoi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $22 in Kandy versus $867 in Hanoi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kandy gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kandy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hanoi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kandy and Hanoi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kandy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.